Casket-fastener.



No. 729,365. l PATENTED JUNE 2,190'01,l

l F. I'. HOBPLE.

GASKET, FASTENER; APPLICATION FILED IAB.. 26, 1900.,

N0 lIDDBL.

@"3 ATTORNEY.

IINrTnD STATES` Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT FFICE.

FRANCIS I. HOEFLE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CINCINNATI COFFIN COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

oAsKE'r-FASTENER..V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 729,865, dated June 2, 1903.

i A Application filed March. 26, 1900. Serial No. 10.189. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, FRANCIS I. HOEFLE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Fasteners for Securing Lids to the Bodies of Interior Linings of Caskets and other Boites, of which the following is a specication.

My invention is primarily designed for use in connection with what is known as the metal interior lining of caskets.7 These metal interior linings consist of a receptacle and a separable lid, together making a complete boX. The receptacle is located within the burial-casket and the lid duly fastened thereon, and then the casket-lid is fastened down over the rst-named lid and the casket is complete. In practice the metallic interior lining being within the casket, the corpse is duly placed therein, and the lid of this lining is placed upon a rubber gasket located upon the upper edge of the wall of the lining, and then the lid is forcibly pressed toward the wall of the lining, thus compressing the gasket and rendering the joint there air-tight.

The principal object of my invention is-to,

provide simple and economical means for holding the lid of the lining down upon and close to the edges of the walls of the same. These means are easily manipulated, very `effective in operation, and durable.

The several features of my invention and the various advantages resulting from their use conjointly or otherwise will be apparent from the following description and claims.

Inasmuch as a description of the applica- 2 is a view in perspective of mylocking device Fig. 2`

and showing in dotted lines a part of the casket interior lining and rubber gasket as combined with my device.` Fig. 3 presents a view in perspective of an end portion of the casket interior lining and a series of my locking devices applied thereto. i

I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail.

A indicates the metal interior lining as an entirety. Such receptacle maybe of any suitable conformation adapted in shape to it the interior of the casket with which it is to be used.

B indicates the lid, C the side and end walls, andC3 the bottom of the lining.

Upon the upper edge of the wall C there is laid or fastened a rubber gasket D, adapted to receive the edge portion of the lid B.

Upon the top of the wall C and so as to stand just outside of the lid are located a suitable number of devices, each made accord ing to my invention and as follows: The device has a base E, adapted to be secured to the wall-for example, the base E has two holes E2 E2 each for .receiving a screw E3 to be screwed into the wall C. The lining A is usually made of zinc or other thin metal, and in such event the upper edge of the wall is constructed so as to present a surface sufficiently broad to receive the base E of the device and also the rubber gasket, upon which the lid is to rest. The preferred construction for this purpose consists in locating a strip C2, usually of wood, as shown, and holding it in place by bending the upper edge portion of the wall C over the top down against the inner side and then under and against the bottom of it. wall is originally left -higher than it is to actually be in order to allow for thetamount thus taken up in bending it around the strip C2, as described. Each of the screws E3 passes through the metal of the wall at top of the strip and then down into the strip, substantially as shown.

From the base E of the device aforementioned rises a hollow standard H, provided with two extension-flanges H2 and H2. Between these is a narrow space H3, which extends back to that hollow space of the standard which receives a shaft K. In this space In such construction the u ICO H3 is located the rotatable shaft K. The shaft near its lower end is diminished in size, forming a contracted portion K3. This contracted portion is passed into and extends through the neck or smaller portion of a beveled opening E4 of the base-plate E. That part of the shaftbelow this neck enlarges, so as to fill the remainder of this opening E4, which enlarges, as heretofore mentioned, and as shown. This enlargement of the shaft in the lower portion of the opening E4 is accomplished, preferably, by an operation substantially similar to that of riveting the head of a bolt or spreading the end of a rivet-rod. This enlargement of the lower end of the part K3 becomes the enlargement K2. The shaft K is thus firmly held to the base-plate E. The particular' manner of making this enlargement by spreading the stem is not essential to this invention. The essential features of the connection are that the shaft K berotatable relatively to the base-plate. It is obviously desirable that the connection to the base-plate be such as shall not extend below the latter. The shank K, at its upper end, and at the upper end of the standard, has an enlarged head K4, which extends over the top ot' the standard H and may be said to rotate thereon. Such head K4 prevents the vertical shank from slipping down out of place. This head K4 is adapted to be engaged by a suitable key, whereby it and its shank can be rotated. The mode of engagement between the key and the head may be varied. One of the preferred modes is that shown, and consists in providing the head with a vertical slot M, having at its bottom a recess M2. The key N to engage such slot and recess, besides having a handle of suitable form, has a flat portion N2 and a terminal pin or small extension N2. The Ilat portion N2 fits within the slot, while the pin N3 lits into the recess M2. When thus engaged, the key when rotated will rotate the shank K. The shank has a screw or spiral flange K5 upon it. Within the space H3 is located a jaw P, arranged to oscillate on a pivot P2. The front or free end P3 of the jaw P extends out beyond the flanges H2 H2, as shown, and the rear end has a circular portion P4, provided with ratchet-teeth P5, two or more of which latter at all times engage with the screw or spiral K5. As the shank K by the key is rotated in one direction the spiral K5 elevates the rear end P4 of the jaw, and thus depresses the front end. The latter when the lid is in place as a part of the lining engages the edge B2 of the lid B and forces the latter down hard upon the gasket D, and thus not only holds the lid in position, but hermetically seals the joint between the lid and the wall C.

It will be understood that the edge B2 of the lid B is preferably stiff, and to this end consists of a stiff bar of met-al suitably secured to the otherwise thin metal of the lid. This lid is usually provided near one end with an opening filled by a glass plate hermetically sealed in and to the lid. When the lid is to be removed, the shank is duly rotated in a reverse direction, thus depressing the rear end P4 of the jaw and elevating the front end P3 of it. This front end can be and is elevated until it comes entirely within the space H3 between the anges H2. Dotted lines in Fig. 2 show this elevated position of the jaw. When thus placed, it is out of intervention and leaves the way free for the lid to be elevated and withdrawn from the rest of the casket. For the same reason the lid can be readily placed upon the wall C. Thereupon the jaw can be advanced and depressed and made to engage the lid, as heretofore specified.

It is to be noted that the series of these devices arranged upon the upper edge of the wall around the lower portion of the receptacle constitute a very efficient set of guides, within which the lid can be placed, as shown, and also a very elicient set of stops which prevent the lid from slipping laterally out of place. It is also to be observed that this series of such clamping devices enables the lid, gasket, and wall to be everywhere tightly compressed together. For example, should there be slightly uneven places in these parts these devices will at close intervals efficiently compress the parts at and in their vicinity,

and thus the lid will be sealed to the wall for.

their entire length.

It is to be understood that while this invention is primarily designed for use in connection with the interior lining of caskets it is Ilot to be confined thereto. I claim its application for clamping down the lids of other boxes and for obvious uses.

What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

IOO

l. As a device for holdinga lid upon a box,

the combination of the base E, standard H, shaft K, having a screw-thread and located in the standard, held therein but rotatable, head K4, adapted to engage with a key for rotating the shaft, flanges H2, H2, between which is space H2, jaw P within such flanges, and

pivoted at P2, one end of the jaw engaginga spiral on the shaft K, and the other end adapted to engage the lid,when the shaft is rotated in one direction, and adapted to be elevated so as to have its bottom ilush with the front edges of the flanges H2, when the shaft is rotated in the other direction, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In combination with a lid and the receptacle it covers, a device havinga base adapted to be secured to the upper wall of the receptacle, a standard rising therefrom and provided with extensions, the standard having a vertical space and there being a space between the extensions, leading into the vertical space, on the one edge and openingoutward on the other, a screw-threaded shaft 0ccupying the Vertical space of the standard,

IIO

ard, and adapted to be rotated and below passing through an opening in the base into an enlarged recess and there enlarged, an oscillating jaw located in the space between the extensions, and pivoted thereto, the rear end of the jaw adapted to engage the screw-threadcated between the edgel B2 and the support C, C2, and the metal base E secured to this support C, C2, and the hollow standardH arising from this base, and having the passage-way E, and the anged parallel extensions H2, H2, extending forward toward the coin-lid, jaw P, pivoted atP2 to the anged portions H2, and carrying a circular toothed portion P, Pand a shank or shaft K, having a screw-thread engaging the toothed portion P4, P5, the shank K having the contracted portion or neck K3, located in the upper part of passage E4, and a basal enlargement K2 of the shank located below the neck K3, and adapted to secure the rotatable shank in place, the extension H2 and standard H and base E being integral, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

FRANCIS I. HOEFLE.

Attest:

SAMUEL A. WEST, K. SMITH. 

